Category Archives: Access to Justice

I was 17 when I started with LAO as a co-op student— my high school counsellor told me I could get four credits for a semester.

I’d always known I wanted to do something in the legal field, but I didn’t give it much more thought than that. Then, that May, just before I graduated from high school, I was offered a position at LAO as support staff. I decided to wait a year before college and see what LAO had to offer.

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is committed to creating an environment that minimizes barriers for women in law. According to Leanne Wight, who went to law school at age 40 and is now a supervisory duty counsel, LAO is a great environment for growing a career.

Pictured above: members of the LAO LAW team. I ask Amy Shoemaker, the director of Legal Aid Ontario’s research department, LAO LAW, to explain what it is her department does. “We provide research support to lawyers who are acting on behalf of legal aid clients, whether they’re duty counsel or private bar lawyers.” “Is that […]

On February 25, 2016, Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) CEO David Field spoke to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. His contribution was part of a national discussion, hosted by the Senate, on delays in Canada’s criminal justice system. Here is a summary of David’s recommendations (Part 2 of 2)

On February 25, 2016, Legal Aid Ontario’s (LAO) CEO David Field spoke to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. His contribution was part of a national discussion, hosted by the Senate, on delays in Canada’s criminal justice system. Here is a summary of David’s views about the problem (Part 1 of 2)

An insightful story, How Aboriginal lawyers are fixing the mess Canada made, recently ran in Precedent magazine. It featured the moving perspective of LAO’s Aboriginal Justice Strategy Policy Counsel Fallon Melander, along with the views of two other Aboriginal lawyers. Fallon’s motivation in going to law school, she says in this story, was to work for her people. She and the other […]

Dec. 1, 2015 is World AIDS Day: an annual event held since 1988 to recognize the barriers faced by people living with HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day also serves to highlight issues around the world related to HIV/AIDS. This year’s theme, “Getting to Zero,” highlights the need for zero new infections, zero deaths, and, just as […]

November 23-27 marks the first Family Dispute Resolution Week in Ontario. If you’re interested in learning more about free or subsidized support for families going through separation and divorce, please visit fdrweek.ca for more information. Anyone who’s had a legal problem they had to deal with in family court knows that it can be long, […]

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